MLB Top 10: Astros, Rays, Blue Jays the best of the best after opening weekend
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
With the first weekend of the 2022 MLB season in the books, it's time for the first edition of the MLB Top 10, which we'll update each Monday throughout the season.
Watch "Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander" on YouTube, or subscribe on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts.
Let's get to it.
The Giants opened the season by winning two out of three games against the Miami Marlins. Their pitching was as good as expected, and Rookie of the Year candidate Joey Bart seems to be the future at catcher for San Francisco.
The Padres started the year just outside my top 10 but looked great in their four-game series against the Diamondbacks, in which their only loss came on an Opening Day walk-off home run. Yu Darvish and Sean Manaea carried no-hitters late into the games Thursday and Friday. San Diego's pitching staff has always had the potential to be great, and their performance opening weekend was enough to move this team into the top 10.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Ben Verlander gives his three takeaways from Opening Day, including the San Diego Padres' almost perfect pitching staff and the Houston Astros' letting everyone know they aren't going anywhere.
The Mets have looked good to start the season, taking three of four against the Nationals. The revamped offense is clicking, and even without Jacob deGrom, the pitching has been solid. Following the Mets' hot start, I’ll be interested to see how they shape up against a better opponent than the Nats.
The Braves will be a great team this year, but losing two of three to the Reds moves them down the rankings a bit to start the season. The return of Ronald Acuña Jr. can’t get here soon enough, and Mike Soroka isn’t due back until about midseason. The Braves will be fine, but it was a tough first few games.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Ben Verlander breaks down why he's betting on the Atlanta Braves to win the National League East in 2022.
The Yankees showed some good and bad signs this week/weekend. The good: They hit lots of homers, and the bullpen (which certainly has some questions) looked good. The bad: Their offense might break the record for strikeouts in a season. Still, the Yankees took a big opening series against the Boston Red Sox.
The White Sox can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries. They are the most talented team in the AL Central on paper, but for the past year or so, they've had trouble keeping all their players on the field. The first few games of this season saw Lucas Giolito go on the 10-day injured list due to an abdominal injury and AJ Pollock removed from a game due to a mild hamstring tweak. The Sox took their opening series against the Tigers, but they need to stay healthy.
The Dodgers have the best offense in baseball and are probably the most complete team on paper. But you can’t lose your opening series to the Rockies and not move down the rankings a bit.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Sam Panayotovich reveals why he's betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers to win over 99.5 games in the 2022 season. "I think they're the best team in baseball," he says.
This Blue Jays team is at the top of the list of most exciting squads in baseball, but they gave up 23 runs in their opening series against the Rangers. I believe Toronto's pitching staff is much better than that, but theirs was not the best start to the season. This offense is incredible, though, and extremely fun to watch.
The Rays are almost always undervalued to start the season, but I have learned my lesson. They swept the Orioles and continue to be one of the best teams in baseball. Also, Wander Franco is a star in this league.
The Astros went on the road and won three of four games in impressive fashion. Their starting pitching was fantastic, giving up only three runs in four games between Framber Valdez, Jake Odorizzi, Justin Verlander and Jose Urquidy. The offense is extremely deep, with an MVP candidate in Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman looking back to form, with two homers and six RBIs in three games. Also, Jeremy Pena looks to be like a more than serviceable option as a rookie at shortstop. The Astros are the clear No. 1 team after opening weekend.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Ben Verlander breaks down his brother Justin Verlander's return to the mound in the Houston Astros' matchup with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @BenVerlander.